Your feet carry the most weight of any part of the body and get looked after the least. A foot massage at Ngải starts with a warm herbal soak, and only then do the hands begin.
Three steps
Herbal foot soak — warm water with Ngải's own leaf blend softens the skin and opens the circulation, so the work that follows can go deeper.
Foot acupressure — the therapist works the acupoints across the soles of your feet. This is the main part of the session, and the reason many guests fall asleep halfway through.
Lower-leg massage — easing upward into the calves, where the muscle tightens most in people who stand all day or wear heels.
What the acupressure is
The feet and lower legs hold a great many nerve endings, and they take the most load of anywhere in the body. The therapist follows the acupoints across this area, holding pressure where the tissue is tight rather than passing over it.
Ngải uses no machines or tools here. Therapists work with the knuckles and the base of the thumb, adjusting pressure guest by guest.
Who it suits
Anyone on their feet all day, anyone whose feet swell by evening, anyone who sleeps badly. It's also the easiest treatment to choose on a first visit — gentle, and no need to change clothes.
A few small things to know
If you have an open wound on the feet, a fungal skin condition, or varicose veins, say so before you start. Expecting mothers should mention which week they're in, so the therapist can adjust.
Getting here
The Lãn Ông branch sits inside the Old Quarter, on the street Hanoi has known for generations as the place for herbs — walkable from Hoàn Kiếm lake. The Phan Kế Bính branch is in Ba Đình, quieter and easier if you are coming by car. Both run the same treatments, by therapists trained the same way.
Booking and what comes with it
Ngải is open 11:00 to 22:00, every day, at both locations. Booking ahead is worth it at weekends and in the evening, when the rooms fill up.
Chrysanthemum tea and Herbalism nut cookies come with every visit, however short the treatment. Tell reception if you would rather stay in a quiet corner; the foot rooms sit apart from the main treatment rooms.
Price and length
Foot massage comes in two lengths: 430 for 45 minutes and 550 for 60 minutes (thousands of VND, before VAT). Add a 20-minute foot scrub for rough heels. Two locations in Hanoi: 53B Lãn Ông and 102 Phan Kế Bính.
Book a foot massage?
45 or 60 minutes with a herbal soak, at both locations.